Poker pro Fedor Holz invests in Team Envy, Dallas Fuel

Envy Gaming, Inc., got another investment Saturday -- and this one came from someone with a long history of buy-ins. Fedor Holz, one of the top poker players in the world, has become a minority owner of Team Envy and Dallas Fuel. Provided by ELeague/Turner Sports

Fedor Holz, a World Series of Poker High Roller winner and one of the most accomplished tournament poker players in the world, has invested in Envy Gaming, Inc., the parent company of Team Envy and the Dallas Fuel, Envy and Holz told ESPN on Saturday.

Thirteen executives and owners associated with esports have been included in SportsBusiness Journal's 2017 50 Most Influential People in Sports Business list, released on Monday.

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Holz, who has earned nearly $27 million in live poker tournaments in the past five years, according to poker database The Hendon Mob, will serve as a minority owner of the teams. He invested in the second quarter of fiscal year 2017. Financial terms of Holz's investment were not disclosed.

Holz first became interested in the organization after developing a friendship with former Envy Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player Nathan "NBK" Schmitt -- who later introduced Holz to Envy CEO Mike "Hastr0" Rufail -- in 2016. Holz even wore a Team Envy jersey to the final table of a WSOP high-roller tournament, the $111,111 Big One for One Drop; he went on to win the WSOP bracelet at that event, along with nearly $5 million.

"I like to invest in things that I'm emotionally connected to it, because I feel that I contribute the most but I also get the most out of it," Holz told ESPN. "I like Envy, I like to watch, I like the way they build their infrastructure and team, take care of their players. And it was just a corporation I wanted to be a part of in some way."

Holz cofounded a mindset coaching platform, Primed Mind, in July. The app offers more than 200 courses and recordings on a series of topics such as public speaking, business and athletics taught by mindset coach Elliot Roe. Holz said that he and Roe are currently working with esports players, including "NBK," to develop courses tailored for esports players.

"Talking to these players and seeing them myself, a lot of them still struggle with their mindset because they're really young and the pressure starts really early," Holz said. "I feel that the mindset or the way you approach the game has very low importance so far compared to more seen sports. I think we can bring some of that into the game, and I'd love to tackle more of that in the next year."

Envy sold sizable minority stake of its company to Hersh Family Investments and its Interactive Group for a reported $35 million in August. With that acquisition, Envy, which was previously based in Charlotte, North Carolina, relocated to Dallas and acquired the Overwatch League slot for that city. It later launched the Dallas Fuel, a sister brand to its main Team Envy, to participate in that league.

Team Envy was not accepted as a permanent partner in the North American League of Legends Championship Series in October. It initially bought a spot in that league, prior to Riot Games moving toward a franchise model, for nearly $1.4 million in May 2016, sources said. As a result of being declined entry as an previously existing team, Envy is entitled to a $2.57 million exit payment from Riot Games.